Argentina, Germany World Cup Betting: Favorites vs. Iran, Ghana

Two World Cup powerhouses are heavy favorites to clinch berths in the knockout stage of the World Cup when they take to the pitch on Saturday.

Argentina is a 2.5-goal favorite against Iran in the first match of the day. Argentina have resided close to the top of the list of favorites in World Cup futures wagering since the World Cup draw last December and entered the tournament with odds of 9-2, trailing only hosts Brazil.

Iran returns to the World Cup after failing to qualify four years ago. They entered the tourney as 33-1 long shots to win Group F and a lengthy 1500-1 shot in futures wagering. But after holding Nigeria to a scoreless draw in their opening match, the Iranians occupy second place in Group F and can buoy the hopes of their fans if they can keep the score close in their match against Argentina.

Iranian fans will be closely watching the other Group F match on Saturday.

Nigeria is a 16-5 moneyline favorite against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Bosnians earned some respect in their opening match, outshooting Argentina in a 2-1 loss, but they desperately need to put points on the table in Saturday’s match to live up to their 20-33 odds of qualifying for the round of 16.

A loss to Nigeria on Saturday would spell the end of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s first World Cup tournament.

Germany can put a stranglehold on top spot in Group G with a win in their Saturday match against Ghana. Die Mannschaft are 1.5-goal favorites and 1-4 favorites on the moneyline against Ghana, who fell to the United States 2-1 in their opening match.

Germany earned their favored status in their opening match, easily routing Portugal 4-0. The win pushed Germany ahead of Argentina in World Cup futures wagering. The Germans entered the tourney with odds of 11-2 to capture their first World Cup title since 1990, trailing Argentina’s 9-2 odds.

However, following their dominant performance against a disappointing Portuguese squad, Germany is now deadlocked at 7-2 with Brazil as futures betting favorites, followed by Argentina at 4-1.